Ship&#39;s log transmission regulator



E. F. BRITTEN, JR

y SHIPS LOG TRANSMISSION REGULATOR Filed Feb. 4, 1944 VMay 3l, 1949. y

NSN@ Y @mgm 01. @www vdd Patented May 3 1, A1949 l 2,471,930 smrstoe'rReNsMlssloiormomlArron Edwin Britten,Jr.; Short Hills,-N.fJ.,.assignor to Monroe Calculating:l Machine Company,`

corporation, of, Delaware ApplicationFebruary 4, 1944;.SerialNo. 521,090

3 Claims.` (Cl.73..178),

l The invention relatesV to s means `fon regulating the rate of advanceof; the drive shaftof a'power driven instrument iny accordance withtheflfrequency of theimpulsesemittedffrom'xan electric log duringmovement ofsa arnarineavessel.z

The instrument to :be driven imay'be -of the nature of odometer;` forplotting `the course. of a ship upon a chart;- axheadingfrecordenl forshowing the deviations fromU a: predetermined course, oranyother devicein-whichfthe rate of travel forms. a componentofmthe desired"indication.` There is. employed a motor rotatingatca constant speed, amechanical: cyclic Yclutchinter posed inthe drive from said motor, andclutch control means interposed between saidclutchand an electro-magnet:wiredcto the. circuit making and breaking devices of the electric:loglof a marine vesselto render the clutch effective when the circuitis, made and the electro-.magnet energized` andto rendertheclutchineffective when the circuit` is broken and theele'ctro-magnetldeenergized, and it is an object ofthe invention to provide meanswhereby .the drive will make ,ibut one rotation foreachmagnet-energizing impulse from. said log, this being `necessary`becausethe propeller of the `vessel may -be `rotatedat varying speeds,and at lower speeds theelectricllog im-A pulses could beprolonged-'over` an interval Aof time greater thanthat taken forthecycle of the drive.

In carrying outtheinvention', obviously the timing should `be `such asto provide for *one cycle of the` drive for eachmagnet-energizingimpulse from the electric log of the vessel when thepropeller thereof is rotating at high speed, and means are provided forrendering the cyclic clutch ineffective at the end of the cycleirrespective of 4pro-- longations of said magnet-energizing. impulseswhohwould occur when the propeller is rotating at lower speeds.

The invention consistsI in Avthe .-novel. construction andcombinations,V oiparts as hereinafter set forth in the claims.

Im the accompanying drawings, t

Figure l is a side elevation` of :thelmea'nsgof this inventioni for`rotatingthe .drivenzrshait from the motor, under.contro1ofntherimpulsesfrom the .i electric log of the ship, with the rpartsinnormal position.: l

`Figure 2 is a viewv similar to=Figure1, partly broken. away, showingthe`parts in the Apositions assumed uponenergizationof theelectro-magnet.

Figure 3 is a sectionofoertain-partson the line 3-3, Figure 2, partlybroken away."

"spring `Il" and render the Figures: is a detail sectional view,showinglone member Aof the compound `lever in engagement with thefpawlto` render the clutchnormally ineffective;

Figure 5 `is `a view similar to Figure 4, showing this member of thecompoundlever releasedand riding upon the periphery of the annularclutch casing, the clutch being eiected.

Figure 6 is a diagrammatic view showing vthe indicator or Stylusand the`means for controlling its movement overa chart with respect to thedevice ,of` `this application. l

In these drawings,` inasmuch as the-operation orfiunctioningof theinvention depends uponthe particular means provided for rotating thedriven shaft ironia-motor, under control of the impulses from-theelectric log of the vesseL'the showing is restrictedlto such means.

Infthesedrawings, a drive shaft, designated: I, isrrotated: by |motorl', constantly at the same rate-of speed, a driven shaft 2 `havinggearing connection 2` withsaid drive shaft, a mechanical clutchV beinginterposed between the drive and drivenshafts, said clutch havingaratchet wheel 3,fastunon the hub of one of the gears 2 andconstitutingathe fast member of the clutch, and anv annular casing 3fast .upon the driven shaft andy providedwith aspring-urged pawl lever4, fulcrumedat 4" and with said casing `constituting the loose member ofthe clutch; saidpawl lever being adapted to engage said ratchet wheel toirender the, clutch effective.

A compound lever constituting a, clutch detent has a member A, iulcrumedat 5 to-thestationary framing` 6,. and provided with a. spring-urgingconnection 54 with said framing; and a member B, also..fulcrumed att,and havin-g aspringurging connection? withsaid member A.y A latch lever-8, .is fulcrumed at 9 to the stationary framing, they tail arm of `saidlatch lever having a spring-urging connection l0 with said framing,said` latch lever having a` lower oiset free end latching portion 8engaging the lower offset free end A' ofthe member A of the clutchdetent lever tojmaintain said member A retracted against the tension of`its spring 5 and to maintainone arm B' of the member B (throughthemedium of spring 'l)` in engagement with said paw] lever 4 to retractthe latter against the tension of its clutch normal1yineffe'ctive. Thecasing 3' is provided with a circumferential. slot 3" through which armB" of member B' normally extends to contact pawl lever 4 forthe `abovenamed purpose.`

The Y"latchf'B *includesanV Narmature 8*' for "an electro-magnet II,wired to the known circuit making and breaking means of the electric logof the vessel, whereby upon energization of said magnet the latch willbe retracted against the tension of its spring to release the member Aof the clutch detent lever and (through the medium of springs and 1)retract the member B of said detent lever from engagement Awith saidpawl lever II to render the clutch effective, the arm B' of the member Bbeing thereupon engaged by and riding upon the periphery of the casing3' of the clutch to maintain the clutch effective throughout its cycleof rotation, irrespective: of deenergization of said magnet during thecycle.

A snail cam I2 fast upon the shaft 2, engages a roller A" of the clutchdetent lever member A to restore said member A to normal position duringsaid cycle, said latch 8 beingI by its spring I0 restored to normalposition in engagement with the restored member A in the event theelectro-magnet is deenergized at the time when roller A" is lifted tothe high portion of cam I2, the latch acting through said springconnection 1 to hold member B of the clutch detent lever in position toenga-ge with said pawl lever 4 to render the clutch again ineffective atthe end of the cycle.

A normally idle secondary latch lever I3 is fulcrumed also at 9, and hasa spring-urging connection I4 with the primary latch 8, said secondarylatch having a. lower offset free and latching portion I3' adapted toengage the lower end A' of thefmember A of the clutch detent lever, asitis lifted by cam I2, in case the electro-magnet is energized and latch8 held retracted thereby at such time. Upon de-energization of theelectro-magnet, latch 8, acting under the influence of spring I0, willstrike and restore the secondary latch I3. Normally the lower latchingportion I 3 of the secondary latch, urged by the spring I4, is pressedagainst the lower lateral face of the offset lower end A of the member Aof the clutch detent lever with portion I 3 extending above the lowerlatching portion 8 of the primary latch. When the electro-magnet isde-energized at the time the secondary latch I3 is engaged with saidmember A, the latter upon release thereof by said secondary latch I3will be immediately engaged by the primary latch 8 to maintain it innormal position.

The use of the secondary latch provides against any possible continuousrunnin-g of shaft 2, which would have the effect of disturbing theproper rate of advance of the shaft.

The progressive movement or rate of travel of the vessel is measured bythe drive of its propeller shaft transmitted through known circuitmaking and breaking means of the electric log of the vessel to the shaft2 by the device of this application. Rotation of shaft 2 is transmittedthrough suitable gearing (not shown) to means for integrating thedifferent directional components, such as north or south and east orwest, of the progressive movement of the vessel, said integrating meansbeing disclosed in the pending application for patent of L. P. Crosman,Ser. No. 491,260, led June 16, 1943, now Patent 2,437,506. The varyingmovement of the magnetic needle of the vessel is measured by the rotarymovement of an annular plate, driven by an electric motor, meanscontrolled by said needle being interposed between the needle and saidmotor to reverse the motor as the needle reverses as disclosed in my-,Patent 2,325,365, dated July 27, 1943, and in my n pendingapplicationfor patent Ser. No. 491,257, filed June 16, 1943, now Patent 2,455,219.

In the case of an odograph whereby a chart is plotted to show the courseof a vessel, a holder 86 for a stylus or indicator 81 has its movementover the chart controlled by 'means shown diagrammatically in Figure 6.

I claim:

l. In a device of the character described, a drive shaft, a drivenshaft, a constantly rotating motor for rotating said drive shaft, acyclic clutch interposed between the drive and driven shafts, saidclutch having a ratchet wheel fast upon the drive shaft and an annularcasing fast upon the driven shaft and provided with a spring-urged pawladapted to engage said ratchet wheel to render the clutch effective, andmeans for rendering said clutch successively effective and ineffectiveto rotate the driven shaft intermittently comprising a clutch-detentcompound-lever one member of which has a spring-urging connection withthe stationary framing and the other member of which has a spring-urgingconnection with the rst-named member and engagement with said pawl torender the clutch normally ineffective, a latch engaging the firstnamedmember to maintain it in normal position with said other member engagedwith said pawl, and an electro-magnet wired to the circuit making andbreaking means of the electric log of a marine vessel, said latchincluding an armature for said magnet and being released uponenergization of said magnet to release said pawl and render the clutcheffective, said other member having riding engagement with the peripheryof said casing throughout the clutch cycle and reengagement with saidpawl at the end of the cycle to render the clutch again ineffective.

2. In adevice of the character described, a drive shaft, a driven shaft,a constantly rotating motor for rotating said drive shaft, a cyclicclutch interposed between the drive and driven shafts, said clutchhaving a ratchet wheel fast upon the drive shaft and an annular casingfastl upon the driven shaft and provided with a spring-urged pawladapted to engage said ratchet wheel to render the clutch effective, andmeans for rendering said clutch successively effective and ineffectivetorotate the driven shaft intermittently comprising a clutch-detentcompound lever one member of which has afspring-urging` connection withthe stationary framingl and the other member of which has aspring-urging connection with the first-named vmember and engagementwith said pawl to render the clutch normally ineffective, alatchengaging the rst-named member to maintain it in normal position withsaid other member engaged with said pawl, and an electromagnet wired tothe circuit making and breaking means of the electric log of a marinevessel, said latch including an armature for said magnet and beingreleased upon energization of said magnet to release said pawl andrender the clutch effective, said other member having riding engagementwith the periphery of said casing throughout the clutch cycle andre-engagement with said pawl at the end of the cycle to render theclutch again ineffective, a cam upon the driven shaft for restoring saiddetent to normal'position during the clutch cycle, and a secondary latchengaging the restored detent to maintain the same in normal positionengaged with said pawl to render the clutch ineffective at the end ofthe cycle irrespective of vdeenergization of said magnet at such time.vf

3. In a device of the character described provided with an indicator,wherein the rate of travel of a marine vessel forms one component of thedesired indication, a, drive shaft, a driven shaft, a motor rotating ata constant speed for rotating said drive shaft, a cyclic clutch themembers of which are respectively mounted upon the drive and drivenshafts to rotate therewith, an electro-magnet wired to the circuitmaking and breaking devices of the electric Iogof said vessel, and meansfor rendering said clutch successively effective and inelective and forrendering said clutch ineiective at the end of its cycle irrespective ofprolongations of magnet energizing impulses from said log to give thedriven shaft but one rotation for each impulse from said log comprisinga compound lever engaging one of the clutch members to render the clutchnormally ineffective and a compound latch engaging said lever tomaintain it in normal position, 20

REFERENCES CITED The following references are of record in the ille ofthis patent:

UNITED STATES PATENTS Number Name Date 1,640,871 Ballard Aug. 30, 19272,049,690 Cunningham Aug. 4, 1936 FOREIGN PATENTS Number Country Date348,832 Great Britain May 21, 1931 Certificate of Correction Patent No.2,471,930. May 31, 1949.

EDWIN F. BRITTEN, JR.

It is hereby certified that error appears in the printed speeieation ofthe above numbered patent requiring correction as follows:

Column 4, line 74, claim 2, for deeuergizsrtioh readenergzation;

and that the Said Letters Patent should bereadwith thie Correctiontherein that the same may conform to the record of the ease in thePatent Olce.

Signed and sealed this 1st day of November, A. D. 1949.

THOMAS F. MURPHY,

Assistant 'ommz'ssz'oner of Patents.

